Unibond First Division Football Clubs in South Manchester
TRAFFORD AND FLIXTON
Molyneaux to stay
6 June 2000- MOLYNEAUX STAYS
It is now reported that Trafford manager, Mark Molyneaux, who had threatened to quit the Club, along with many of his Unibond President's Cup-winning squad, following rumours of a 50% pay-cut being imposed on the team, has now agreed to stay at Shawe View.
PLAYERS OF THE YEAR
Lee Southwood has been named as the Trafford Player of the Year, whilst Garry Vaughan lifted the Players' Player award. Billy McCartney was the Supporters' Player of the Year and the Clubman of the Year award went to Dave Murray.
UNIBOND CUP DRAW
Trafford have been drawn in the same group as Runcorn, Bamber Bridge, Winsford and Accrington Stanley. After playing a total of two home and two away matches against the other group members, the winners of eight of the nine groups will proceed to the Challenge Cup. The ninth winner and seven top runners-up will go into the President's Cup, held by Trafford. The final two runners-up and six third-placers are the competitors for the Chairman's Cup, which Trafford won in 1997 when it was the Unifilla Cup.
Cup Triumph
Trafford won the Unibond President's Cup on 4 May by beating Whitby 4-2 on penalties after losing the away leg 3-4 to the Yorkshire side. However, the 2-1 victory in the first leg at Shawe View meant that the game went to extra-time and the ultimate penalty victory. Trafford were losing 2-3 as extra-time started and went 2-4 down before Burns snatched a vital goal in the last minute of extra-time to extend the game to penalties. Burns also scored on 80 mins, to add to Emmett's goal on 33 mins. Trafford's penalties were scored by Vaughan, McCartney, Simms and Rigby. The starting line- up was: Stones, Rigby, Briffa, Southwood, McCartney, Lowe, Mellor, Vaughan, Emmett, J. Murray and Weston. The subs used were Burnett (for Lowe, 66 mins), Simms (gor Emmett 78 mins) and Garside (110 mins).
Final 1999/2000 League Positions
Sadly, Flixton have now been relegated to the NW Trains League.
| NO | TEAM | P | W | D | L | F | A | PTS | GD |
| 18 | TRAFFORD | 42 | 11 | 12 | 19 | 55 | 63 | 45 | -8 |
| 19 | GRETNA | 42 | 11 | 7 | 24 | 48 | 78 | 40 | -30 |
| 20 | NETHERFIELD KENDAL | 42 | 8 | 9 | 25 | 46 | 82 | 33 | -36 |
| 21 | FLIXTON | 42 | 7 | 9 | 26 | 47 | 85 | 30 | -38 |
| 22 | WHITLEY BAY | 42 | 7 | 9 | 26 | 41 | 87 | 30 | -46 |
TRAFFORD
TRAFFORD (1) 2 WHITBY TOWN (0) 1
Trafford went into this match without the suspended Vaughan and with goalkeeper O'Donnell sidelined through injury. Mellor took on the captain's role. In an excellent match played in wet conditions, Trafford took a deserved lead on 43 minutes. Lowe and a fellow Trafford player looked as if they were going to get in each other's way as a cross came in from the left. However, at the second attempt, Lowe drove the ball home strongly from close range. Although the excellent Emmett almost scored immediately after the interval for Trafford, with a superb left-foot shot from 25 yards which hit the cross-bar, the visitors dominated the second half. A rehearsed free-kick routine, in which Lawton got his head firmly on the end of a ball played in from the right, produced the equaliser on 52 minutes. With referee Mr Foulkes adopting a lenient attitude, one or two tackles threatened to turn into nasty incidents but Whitby were unable to press home their dominance. On 70 minutes Whitby had the ball in the Trafford net but the goal was disallowed following a lengthy consultation with the linesman. Almost immediately, in a rare breakaway, Emmett's attempted shot from 20 yards was sliced into the air. Trafford reacted the more quickly and the ball was played back from near the goal-line towards the edge of the box, where Weston drove it home (71 mins). Four minutes later Whitby were awarded a penalty, apparently for hand-ball. Burke took it well but Stones made a magnificent save, diving to his right. Trafford held out for a 2-1 victory. The second leg is at Whitby on 4 May.
The first hour or so of this match was played in pouring rain but produced five goals in the first-half alone. Although the Yorkshire side started the better, Trafford got on top and it was against the run of play when the veteran, Wayne Biggins, scored a superb goal from 20 yards when he lobbed 'keeper Stones after winning a 50/50 ball. Almost immediately Trafford had to replace the injured Lowe by Garside (26 mins). Stocksbridge went two up in comical fashion when a harmless back-pass from Trafford's left-back, Briffa, was completely missed by Stones as he attempted to kick clear from next to his right-hand post.
Trafford got back into the match somewhat fortunately when a penalty was awarded (42 mins)
for an offence which was not altogether clear. Rigby netted the spot-kick. Only
thirty seconds later, Carnet in the Steels' goal attempted to kick clear but the ball hit Emmett
on the edge of the penalty area. He quickly hammered the ball over the hapless
goalkeeper to equalise. Amazingly, only two minutes later (45 mins), Sean Dunphy, the
Steels' centre-back, rose well at the far post to head a Trafford cross into his own
net off the far post, to put the home side ahead, 3-2.
Weston replaced Murray at half-time for Trafford. Stocksbridge dominated the second half but came no nearer than striking an upright with a glancing header, which ran along the goal-line before being cleared (75 mins). Trafford came to life in the last ten minutes and Emmett's superbly curling free-kick, from outside the box, hit the Steels' cross-bar. Played switched to the other end and following a throw to Stocksbridge just inside the Trafford half, the ball was switched across to the cntre where Robinson, who skilfully played it on to full-back Ashton who was racing in unmarked on the right side of the penalty area. He shot well to bring the scores to 3-3 (81 mins). Emmett surprisngly gave way to player-manager Mark Molyneux (88 mins) but the substitute almost scored immediately with a header which was well saved following a cross by Garside, who was playing well. A draw was a fair result of an entertaining match which ended in beautiful sunshine after the atrocious weather of the first hour.
Scorers: Vaughan for Trafford (51) and Kenerdale (27) and Warboys (64) for Eastwood. Crowd 145.
FLIXTON
The Flixton ground is famous for its excellent, modern clubhouse, complete with large screen Sky TV installation. The refreshment hut also serves an excellent hot-pot. The ground has its own car park. Admission to the ground is £3.50 for adults. Flixton have now been relegated after losing 3-5 at home to Trafford (24 April).
Flixton were unlucky to lose this match, especially as they entered it without regular keeper, Keith Neild (suspended) and useful striker, Troy Hayder (transferred to Winsford). Although they looked second-best for the opening part of the match, Flixton took the lead on 14 minutes with a superb 35 yard shot by John Hudson, on the right touchline, which looped over keeper Berryman and into the top of the net. Radcliffe equalised three minutes later when Mullin headed home a cross from the right which followed a dubiously awarded freekick to the visitors. Flixton had the better of the second half till, on 73 minutes, Lunt won a marginal off-side decision on the right and after his cross from the right had been headed against the left-hand upright, the ball fell to the Radcliffe forward, Carden, who put the ball in the net from close range. The vocal Boro supporters saw their team dominate the final fifteen minutes.
Flixton were relegated as a result of this home defeat to local rivals, Trafford. Vaughan opened the scoring (5 mins), but after 38 mins Flixton's John Hudson and Trafford's Tony Briffa were sent off for fighting. On 41 minutes Garside joined Briffa in the Trafford bath and on the stroke of half- time, Jamie Holt equalised for Flixton. The nine men of Trafford went ahead when Vaughan scored and Vaughan laid on a goal for Hogan, to make it 3-1 after 67 minutes. Centre-forward Emmett headed home the fourth (70 mins) from a corner by Vaughan. But Flixton showed some fight as first Hayes and then substitute, Butterworth reduced the areas to 3-4. However, the tricky Hogan was fouled by Everett in the penalty area and Rigby scored from the spot to make it 3-5.